I was beyond blessed to have my first-born be a phenomenal eater right off the bat. As soon as those teeth were up for the challenge, bring it on! California Rolls, zucchini noodles with peanut sauce, even spicy foods, you name it, and she was here for it. Being a mindful eater myself, I was thrilled and slightly cocky to the fact that I had a non-picky eater. Good job, mom! No kiddie food junk fest for this family! “Hahaha not so fast!” fate chuckles in my face. Fast forward about three years and as Lyla happily demolishes a salad for dinner, her baby sister at the ripe young age of 20 months shovels 99% of options down the hatch….of her highchair…right onto the floor. What the crap? I fed her exactly the same way I had fed Lyla as a baby! What happened? Well, turns out our grandmas everywhere were right. A huge percentage of that child was the way he/she was the moment they fell out into this world. Hence why there are a million parenting books out there. No two kids were built alike…..even siblings (much to moms’ dismay). Just when you think you’ve got this kid thing down, little bro or sis decides to pull a 180 and you’re back to your glory days of being a new mom and feeling utterly clueless.
So, what’s a good-intended parent to do? Do we give into the boxed mac and cheese at every meal simply because that’s what they’ll eat? There’s no judgment from this end as I can so easily see how that happens when you are desperate for them to eat something. But, for me and my beliefs, that’s just not an option. Processed foods that have been cleverly marketed to children for decades don’t have to be the only option. And a huge problem with going that route is that many of these foods contain tons of added sugar (and other mystery ingredients) which will actually change your child’s palette making it even more of a challenge to get the healthy whole foods in.
Not ready to give in to the chicken nugget and hot dog diet? Here are the healthy go-tos that I can count on to help with a picky toddler:
- Oatmeal. Of course, it’s one of our messiest encounters, but she almost always will eat her entire bowl. Skip the flavored packets and opt for an organic whole oat option. I season hers with honey and peanut butter. You could also use a ripe banana as an alternative sweetener if they haven’t turned one yet.
- Avocado Toast. Suburban housewife wants her breakfast back…..literally…she stole bites of mine and discovered she liked it. This is one of the surprise wins for me. This kid that won’t eat a green bean to save her life, literally licks the avocado off of the toast.
- Bread. My mom jokes that sometimes Rose gets the inmate meal of bread and water. I do invest in a healthy brand of bread to minimize the crazy additives and sugar. My go-to for the girls is Dave’s Killer White Bread Thin Sliced.
- Peanut Butter. Yes, a kid staple obviously so no surprise here. Peanut butter is a tricky one to navigate. Try to get them started on a healthy option (one that contains only nuts) before they become hooked on mainstream brands which often contain palm oil and other added sugars. This on toast makes a great breakfast with a side of fruit. Lyla even likes it on a rice cake…..of course she does.
- Hummus. My second jaw dropper. I eat organic hummus with baby carrots as a snack and she loves to lick the hummus off of the veggies (mom-held of course so there’s no shoving of the carrot into her mouth). Try cutting up small pieces of a softer vegetable like cucumber with the skin removed for them to safely feed themselves.
- Homemade Larabars. If you’re unfamiliar with Larabars, they are made with 3-4 recognizable ingredients and if you get the ones with peanut butter, they’re amazingly yummy! The fruit ones are ok, but can be a bit tart in my opinion. If you’re wanting to make them organic , or just wanting to save money, you can make them yourself and it’s beyond simple. Here’s the recipe that I use. Rose destroys the peanut butter ones!
- Roasted or Grilled Chicken. Chicken nuggets are a childhood right of passage, but don’t have to be your only option. Get in the habit of roasting a whole chicken once a week and then having the leftover meat to offer for lunches.
- Milk & Water. If you’re a new mom, try your best to wait as long possible to give your baby juice. It’s not a health food period and is drowning in sugar. Rose happily chugs her only two drink options without complaint. Even Lyla when given the occasional juice box at a birthday party, will take about one sip and then default back to water.
- Freeze Dried Fruit. Have you seen these cute little dehydrated fruits?? Rose could eat a whole bag of mangos in one sitting. They make a terrific grab and go snack.
- Spaghetti. Dinner is our most difficult meal. Luckily, I have a few options that I know she will go along with (at least this month). Keep this as healthy as possible by making your own sauce with organic tomato sauce, or invest in a decent organic brand. Make sure you check the added sugar content as well! Pasta sauces are sneaky that way.
My pediatrician ensured me that their stomachs are much smaller than we realize, and it really doesn’t take much to fill them up. So, they’re not likely starving. Try giving them two foods you know they will eat and then keep introducing (and reintroducing) other options at each meal. In my experience shaming and bargaining don’t do much, so try to keep mealtime light and happy. This way they don’t associate dinner time with a negative connotation. Another tip is to watch snack time. Don’t let them graze their way towards dinner and then refuse the meal. Remember that everything is a phase, so stick to your guns and their bodies and mind will thank you…..eventually…..and not audibly of course because that would be crazy to think about…..a mom getting thanked…..by a kid? Ha…..fairytales! You’re doing great!
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